Necessitarianism

Necessitarianism is the philosophical doctrine that all events are causally determined by prior events and that human free will is therefore an illusion. In this view, everything that happens is inevitable, and there is only one possible course of events. The doctrine often stems from a belief in universal determinism, suggesting that the past and the laws of nature completely dictate the present and the future. This contrasts with libertarian free will and is often debated in the context of morality and personal responsibility. Key aspects involve the denial of alternative possibilities and the affirmation of causal chains that necessitate all occurrences. It does not negate the reality of actions but proposes that they are preordained, denying genuine choice.

Necessitarianism meaning with examples

• The staunch necessitarian argued that the apparent choices we make are simply the unfolding of a predetermined script. For him, our actions, though felt as voluntary, are merely the inevitable effects of prior causes. His belief in Necessitarianism led him to reject the concept of moral culpability because, in a world devoid of free will, no one could truly be held accountable for their deeds. The feeling of agency, he maintained, was a subjective experience, not a reflection of reality.
• The philosopher explored the implications of Necessitarianism on the legal system, debating whether punishment, based on ideas of deterrence and retribution, made sense in a world without free will. If actions were predetermined, he queried, could we logically blame individuals? He considered a revised system of social engineering focused on rehabilitation that prioritized adjusting environmental influences on behavior, rather than meting out justice in the conventional sense.
• A scientist presented a necessitarian view, explaining that the laws of physics dictated the universe's trajectory. From the Big Bang onward, every event, from the formation of galaxies to the movement of a single atom, was the result of a chain reaction. Human actions were but a small, complex part of this grand cosmic plan. He argued that rejecting determinism was to reject science itself, suggesting this view was not necessarily gloomy, but a profound understanding of how existence functions.
• The concept of Necessitarianism was at the heart of a theological debate. Theologians debated free will with a deity that presumably knew all possible courses of events, challenging them with questions concerning prayer and forgiveness. If God knew the future, the necessitarian argument became almost irresistible, making the actions of humans already determined by divine foreknowledge. This led to discussions about the nature of prayer, if intervention in a pre-determined course was possible.